EVERETT, Wash. — Nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will walk out over what they call unfair labor practices, saying chronic understaffing at the hospital threatens the safety of patients and staff.
More than 1,300 nurses are expected to participate in the walkout.
Providence management and the UFCW 3000 union bargaining team failed to reach a contract agreement at the last bargaining session on Friday, Nov. 3. The union approved a strike earlier in October if an agreement was not reached.
UFCW 3000 said 600 nurses have left the hospital or retired since 2021. The hospital’s chief nursing officer said they’d have to hire about 400 more nurses to be at what they would consider a solid staffing level.
The union said the wages need to be above other area hospitals' current contracts, so they remain competitive for several years.
Providence Everett issued a statement saying they were "extremely disappointed" that they couldn't come to an agreement with the union, saying strikes strain the healthcare delivery system.
A spokesperson said their proposed contract would have increased nurse wages by 21.5% over the next three years, with an immediate pay bump of 13% on average when the contract is ratified. The hospital said the average full-time nurse earns a base salary of $121,000 per year and works three 12-hour shifts a week.
The hospital said they have been preparing for this "unfortunate possibility" for some time, and are confident they will be able to provide the same standard of medical care while nurses are demonstrating.